I was standing at the top of Mount Falcon on my spring break trip last week. I was hiking with my family on the last day of the trip before we headed back to Texas. To that point, the trip was full of putt-putt golf, video games, cousin time, or park play. To be honest, I was a little exhausted from it all (compounded by my auto-immune issues), but it was no less fun. On the mountain, as I looked out at the snow-capped peaks, I found myself feeling a little sad. Sometimes, life flies by so fast, and I can get so caught up in the minutiae that I don’t always allow myself the time to savor it all. Then I find myself standing on a mountain, asking, how did I get here, and what has happened in the last 96 hours?
Living a wild life is only wild when you choose to see it through that lens. I have intentionally done the work to have rich relationships and to sit in abundance purposefully. Still, unless I’m paying attention and acknowledging all the good, life can quickly fall flat. Even I needed a reminder to practice gratitude. I took a deep breath, looked around at the beauty of the mountains that always move me, I looked at the perfect company that is my family, and sat in the goodness a bit. I have to say it feels wholehearted and wild, and when I do, it always brings me back to the present moment. To a deep knowing that a wild life is a life well lived. It was a defining moment because this is what I want to remember down the road when I’m looking back on my life. How happy I was at that very moment.
The practice of gratitude has greatly impacted my life and is one of the easiest tools to engage in. It also happens to be one avenue to improve your emotional intelligence, or EQ which is a hot topic right now.
Cultivating a mindset of gratitude by regularly acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of your life can help shift your focus away from negativity and enhance your overall well-being. And it doesn’t take a lot of time, just a moment of acknowledgment.
Throughout my trip, moments like this sign I found at the sandwich shop served as reminders. There is nothing we really need to do to be happy except pay attention and savor. Live your wild life.
If you are interested in knowing your EQ I’ve posted a quick quiz over in the chat. Check it out and see where you stand. Your EQ determines how relate to others so it’s good to know where you stand. Tip: If you want better relationships, foster your EQ.